Russia proposes its plan to fight against drug trafficking from Afghanistan

Russia is ready to present its plan of fight against illegal drug trafficking from Afghanistan, said Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, when speaking at the ministerial part of the anti-drug conference in Paris on Thursday.

It is necessary "to reinforce and create anti-drug 'safety belts' around Afghanistan," he believes. This will allow "preventing drug transit at the early stages", that is, "on the border between Afghanistan and its neighbours", the minister said.

It is also important that the world community meets the requests of the frontier, customs and law-enforcement services of the countries situated along the routes of illegal transportation of Afghani drugs, in order to increase the potential of fight against drug trade, he pointed out.

The Russian minister called for finding and neutralizing all chains of international criminal groups involved in deliveries and sales of Afghani drugs, eliminating opportunities for money laundering.

The next move to fight against illegal drug trafficking from Afghanistan is to find in the country illegal drug storehouses and underground laboratories and to eliminate them, Ivanov said.

Yet another way to solve this problem is to reduce demand for drugs, first of all in the states participating in the conference, by using preventive measures, and treating and rehabilitating drug addicts, the Russian minister believes.